title: Bronchoschopy should always be performed in children on suspicion of foreign body aspiration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foreign body aspiration (FBA) can have a fatal outcome, and the diagnosis is challenging since symptoms and signs may vary. We therefore investigated whether it was possible to identify predictors indicating the presence of a foreign body.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of children undergoing bronchoscopy at Odense University Hospital for suspected FBA in the period from 1977 to 2010 were reviewed and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 143 children underwent bronchoscopy due to suspected FBA. The medical records of 137 of these children were accessible. Their median age was 1.84 years, 62.8% were male and foreign bodies were found in 76 cases (55.5%). The only variable that statistically significantly predicted the presence of a foreign body was a radiologic finding (any abnormal chest X-ray or fluoroscopy) (p = 0.023). A foreign body was found in 22 out of 47 (46.8%) patients with no radiologic findings and in three of 11 (27%) patients with neither symptoms at admission nor radiologic or physical findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental suspicion of an FBA indicates acute bronchoscopy in children regardless of signs, symptoms and findings.
authors.affiliation: Gammel Kongevej 127, 4. tv., 1850 Frederiksberg, Denmark. amsam03@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amirsalar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samkani
authors.forename: Karl Viktor Lynge
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Christian Emil
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Godballe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000209:etiology*; D012137:Respiratory System; D012189:Retrospective Studies